Will the “server hugger” go extinct?

You’ve heard of “server huggers” right? They’re the IT personality type that has a difficult time feeling comfortable with colocating their servers to a remote data center, opting to have the servers on-site or in a local data center facility.

Now, since the benefits of cloud computing are that of scalability and not of high-performance, the cloud will never fully replace purpose built hardware, such as high-performance database servers. And while purpose built hardware is quite expensive, cloud servers certainly have their place.

If I were to speculate, I would say that cloud computing benefits of scalability combined with the physical benefits of purpose built hardware, make for a hybrid solution that will lower a company’s IT infrastructure costs, while maintaining performance requirements. So going virtual with your IT infrastructure doesn’t necessarily mean that everything will all go to the cloud, rather it means a company’s solution will likely end up embracing the best both worlds.

So how do the server huggers fare through all of this? Well, they won’t go extinct! The economic benefits of cloud computing will make their lives miserable, not knowing where in the cloud the infrastructure resides. It may help them to cope with moving things to the cloud if they were to know and visit the data center where their cloud solution resides.

Moving to the cloud isn’t the end of the world, although to a server hugger it could feel like a nuclear bomb has been dropped on theirs. I suggest a viewing of Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, and a stiff drink to go along with the realization that technology changes, and we need to move along with it.

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6 Responses

This is an interesting and funny article about the “server huggers.” It just shows how fast technology is changing and because of that, we need to adapt and change with it. If we don’t then we won’t be around very long ourselves.

Since technology increases Exponentially and continually becomes less expensive and more efficient, there is nothing to do but “let go” of the old ways of doing things. It should be an exciting endeavor, but these types of clients will really rely on a data center’s “soft skills” to not only sell them on letting go, but help them through transitions.

I totally get their mentality. It’s their gear and they want/need it close to them. But realistically, it makes so much more sense from a disaster recovery stand point and cost effective stand point to go with the flow.

“Server huggers” sound to me like a parent hesitant to leave their kid with a babysitter. Will they be treated with the same loving care? Will they get enough to eat and be safe? But as mentioned in the article, and like the babysitter situation, the best thing would probably be to let them visit the data center where their cloud is and become comfortable with it. Because regardless, the tech, it is a-changin’! And like in the comments above, you have to change with it!

It makes perfect sense for people to feel worried about moving to the cloud. After having servers they’ve put together and have taken care of I can imagine the feeling of going to the cloud being a bit out of their hands. Once things progress in cloud technology more and more people will feel comfortable using it.

There will always be those a little skeptical about new and changing technology, but cloud computing is becoming increasingly popular every day. The more people use it and become familiar with it, the skepticism will decrease and they will come to realize how awesome the cloud can be!